How should racecadotril (Hidrasec) be dosed and administered to a three‑year‑old child?

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Dosificación de Hidrasec (Racecadotril) para Niños de 3 Años

Para un niño de 3 años con diarrea aguda acuosa, administre racecadotril (Hidrasec) a una dosis de 1.5 mg/kg por vía oral cada 8 horas, como complemento a la terapia de rehidratación oral.

Dosis Específica y Administración

  • La dosis estándar es 1.5 mg/kg administrada cada 8 horas (tres veces al día), según múltiples estudios controlados en niños de 3 meses a 5 años 1, 2, 3

  • Para un niño típico de 3 años (peso aproximado 14-15 kg), esto equivale a aproximadamente 21-22.5 mg por dosis, tres veces al día 1

  • Administre el medicamento por vía oral junto con la solución de rehidratación oral, que sigue siendo el tratamiento fundamental 2, 4

  • La duración del tratamiento es típicamente hasta que cese la diarrea, generalmente entre 3-5 días basado en los estudios clínicos 1, 2

Contexto Clínico Importante

Cuándo Usar Racecadotril

  • Racecadotril está indicado específicamente para diarrea acuosa aguda, no para diarrea con sangre o fiebre alta 5

  • Debe evitarse en casos de diarrea inflamatoria o disentería (diarrea con sangre, fiebre alta), donde los antimotílicos están contraindicados 5

  • Es seguro en niños mayores de 3 meses de edad según los estudios publicados 1, 2, 6

Eficacia Esperada

  • Racecadotril reduce la producción de heces en aproximadamente 46-50% durante las primeras 48 horas comparado con placebo 1, 2

  • La duración de la diarrea se reduce significativamente, con una mediana de 28 horas en el grupo tratado versus 52-72 horas con placebo 1

  • Sin embargo, una revisión Cochrane de 2019 concluyó que el beneficio clínico es limitado y no respalda el uso rutinario fuera de estudios controlados 4

Seguridad y Efectos Adversos

  • Racecadotril tiene un perfil de seguridad favorable, con efectos adversos generalmente leves y transitorios 1, 2, 3

  • No aumenta la tasa general de eventos adversos comparado con placebo (RR 0.90, IC 95% 0.66-1.22) 4

  • A diferencia de loperamida, racecadotril no está contraindicado en niños menores de 18 años, ya que no es un antimotílico opioide 5

Advertencias Críticas

  • Nunca use loperamida en niños menores de 18 años con diarrea aguda (recomendación fuerte), ya que se han reportado muertes en niños menores de 3 años 5

  • La rehidratación oral sigue siendo el pilar fundamental del tratamiento y racecadotril solo debe usarse como terapia complementaria 5, 2

  • No disponible en Norteamérica, pero ampliamente utilizado en Europa y otros países 5

  • Evite el uso si hay sospecha de diarrea causada por E. coli productor de toxina Shiga (STEC), ya que los antidiarreicos pueden aumentar el riesgo de síndrome urémico hemolítico 5

References

Research

Racecadotril in the treatment of acute watery diarrhea in children.

The New England journal of medicine, 2000

Research

[Effect of racecadotril in the management of acute diarrhea in infants and children].

Archives de pediatrie : organe officiel de la Societe francaise de pediatrie, 2002

Research

Racecadotril for acute diarrhoea in children.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2019

Guideline

Guideline Directed Topic Overview

Dr.Oracle Medical Advisory Board & Editors, 2025

Research

What place for ▾racecadotril?

Drug and therapeutics bulletin, 2013

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Professional Medical Disclaimer

This information is intended for healthcare professionals. Any medical decision-making should rely on clinical judgment and independently verified information. The content provided herein does not replace professional discretion and should be considered supplementary to established clinical guidelines. Healthcare providers should verify all information against primary literature and current practice standards before application in patient care. Dr.Oracle assumes no liability for clinical decisions based on this content.

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